Where I Stood
by Emma Winslow
Summary: Tony and Ziva are hopelessly in love and married. But one encounter turns their lives upside down. Will they be able to overcome the tragedy that they experienced?
1. Chapter 1

~Present~

She entered the office, deep in thought. She couldn't tell anyone. Not even her husband, Anthony DiNozzo.

"Morning," Timothy McGee said to her.

She returned the gesture automatically, almost like a robot. He watched her curiously, confused. Was she alright? Sick? In trouble? No, she wasn't, but only she knew the root of the problem.  
>Ex-Mossad Officer Ziva Belen David was pregnant.<p>

~3 weeks ago~

"Tony, wake up," Ziva murmured, sitting up in their bed. She couldn't help stare at his body before he opened his eyes and she met his gaze.

"Good morning, my sexy exotic wife," he said. She nudged him gently before heading to the bathroom to take a shower. Last night had been great. Dinner, movie, and... well, some other stuff she had done with Tony. She loved him more than anything in the world. Ziva started up the water and got in, already stripped down from last night. She had her crazy dark brown curls in a bun so she wouldn't get her hair wet. She washed off quickly and then got out to get ready for work. She grabbed a few tampons from the cabinet. Her period was starting in a few days and she wanted to be prepared, as she always was.

Ziva got dressed in under 10 minutes and exited to the kitchen, making coffee for her and Tony. He soon entered wearing a crisp work suit and she almost took him back to bed. But their boss, Leroy Jethro Gibbs (she called him Gibbs though), would not appreciate that. Maybe if they brought him extra coffee... no. Staying at home was not an option. She handed him the mug of coffee and took a sip of her own.

"Delicious, Zi," Tony said appreciatively. She smiled and they kissed for a couple minutes. She glanced at the clock and realized they had to go.  
>"C'mon my secret spy, we have to get to work," she told him. He followed her to the car and they drove to work, feeling happy and carefree.<p>

~Present~

It was all her fault. At least, that's what she was telling herself. She forgot to take the pill and didn't realize until she missed her period, a sure sign of only one thing. She sat at her desk, distractedly typing, and Gibbs walked in. He, being the most observant, peered at her from his desk.

"You alright, David?"

"Yes," she replied quickly,"just a bit tired, that's all."

He seemed unconvinced but let it go. Ziva could take care of herself, and if he knew her, she would solve this problem quickly. Too bad his gut was wrong this time. Tony was also watching her, and he was nervous. She had been a little distant with him and when he asked about it she dodged the subject. Was she going to ask for a divorce? He shook his head and scolded himself. No, Ziva would never. He trusted her too much to think that.

"We had a fire on 74 Cromwell Street, seems to be arson. We got called to check it out. We may have a murder on our hands," Gibbs explained.

"Grab your gear," he added. Gibbs, Ziva, Tony, and McGee picked up their stuff and ran out. Ziva jogged as fast as possible with the but it hurt slightly. She pushed herself and reached the elevator, the door closing on them.

~Two Weeks Ago~

Ziva went to the bathroom and pulled out a tampon, ready for the worst. But when she entered the stall and pulled her pants down, there was no blood. She was confused, and thought it through.

_Maybe I miscalculated the weeks, _she thought calmly.

But she knew something was wrong. She knew what she had to do. She washed her hands and left the bathroom, heading back to her desk. Eveyone was eating lunch.

"I'm going to a drug store momentarily, I need to buy something," she told Tony.

"I'll tell Gibbs. What do you need?"

She hesitated, then faked a cough.

"Cough drops. My throat has being feeling a little... dry," she lied easily.

"Oh, okay Zi. See you in a bit," he replied, completely clueless.

She headed to the car and drove to the drug store to get what she needed.

~Present~

"Well, the bastard missed a spot... nowhere. There was gasoline covering every damn inch of this house," Gibbs stated combing his way through the debris and ashes.  
>Ziva followed close behind and Tony and McGee were checking out the front. They entered what was left of the living room and out the back door... or archway, because the door had been removed. They decided to go to the garage, which had been spared. Ziva examined the floor, looking for any specific marks or strewn items. Gibbs stood in front of a giant pile of boxes. He opened one and pulled out books, toys, and clothes. The clothes were tiny though, probably for a five or six year old girl. Gibbs moved them aside and kept looking through. He moved aside a folded pile of clothes and stopped.<p>

"Ziva," he beckoned her. She walked over and gasped. Gibbs reached in and pulled out a couple cloths covered in blood. They had crusted and the blood had dried turning an ugly shade of rust. Gibbs started to get curious. He glanced around and saw a shovel, the scoop covered in dirt and grass. He pulled out a large evidence bag and dropped the shovel in while Ziva put the cloths in a seperate bag.

"Ziva, is there something you notice too?"

"Well, yes," she said looking at him," the shovel is covered in fresh dirt. I'm guessing the backyard holds more than just lilies and petunias."

Gibbs nodded and replied," Exactly. We're going to have to do some deep digging."

Soon, the whole team was digging in the backyard. Ziva was most likely hurting the most, but Tony was the one complaining. But slapping him in the back of the head seemed to help. At least, for Gibbs it helped. Soon McGee hit something hard.

"Boss, uh, I hit something," he said. They all went over and Gibbs brushed aside the dirt. Staring right up at him was the pale face of a little girl.

~Two Weeks Ago~

Ziva got what she needed from the store. She also bought some cough drops to back up her story. After paying she headed back to the office and went straight to the bathroom, her package in her pocket. She opened the box, pulling out the small pregnancy test. She gulped and headed to the toilet, using it. She walked out, went up to the mirror, and read it.

_Positive.__  
><em>  
>She slid against the wall behind her, tossing it in the garbage, and tucked her head in her knees. Most women would be ecstatic that they were pregnant. Most women didn't work on the field, getting caught up in shootings and murders. What was she going to do? <p>


	2. Chapter 2

**Hope you guys enjoy, this story will be sad but it will get better. Song for this chapter is Chinese by Lily Allen. Enjoy! Donald P. Bellisario is all NCIS!**

~1 Week Ago~

It had already started, the morning sickness and dizziness. Ziva bent on her knees, her head over the toilet letting out dinner and most likely breakfast. Tony rushed over into their bathroom and held back her hair, rubbing her back. When she was done she went to the sink and washed her face, then brushed her teeth.

"You alright, Zi?"

"Yeah," she said, continuing to brush,"probably just some bad food."

She used mouthwash, then dried off with a towel, and he ran a hand through her hair.

"Be careful, don't strain yourself at work," he warned softly. She turned to face him and forced a smile.

"I will," she promised. He smiled and kissed her, then they headed to work.

When would she tell him? Would he leave her? How would she be able to fight crime with a baby on the way? And when it was growing up? Mostly she worried he would be upset, for her being careless.

_No, _she fought with her conscience.

_He'll be happy for us, _she added. She smiled genuinely for the first time in 2 weeks. She would tell him next week, and nothing would go wrong.

~Present~ **(A/N:The rest will be ~Present~ from now on)**

"God damn," Gibbs muttered. Ziva instinctively put her hands on her mini baby bump but then removed them, for fear McGee, Tony, or Gibbs would notice. She examined the the little girl and felt slightly sad. The face was round, a pale marble color now since she had died. Her big blue eyes were open and staring blankly at them. Her plump lttle lips had faded to a pale rosy pink. She was the picture of innocence. Ziva felt sorry for whoever the parents were, and if they were worried about where so she was. Or, if they were the ones who had put her there.

"I'm calling Ducky over," Gibbs stated walking away, his cell phone pressed against his face.

Ziva put down her shovel and started to follow Gibbs when a wave of dizziness overcame her and she fell over. McGee caught her, but fell over, and she landed on him.

"I'm so sorry, McGee," she apologizied profusely. He looked at her strangely but composed his face quickly.

"It's alright," he replied, helping her up. Tony watched the whole scene, but told himself, people fall. It's perfectly natural. They kept searching for evidence and unfortunately found no murder weapon. But the boxes that had been found in the garage were taken in for fingerprints. A couple trucks arrived and Ducky came over.

"Well, this is quite sad. To die so young," Ducky said while the body was pulled out of the ground. The girl was wearing a purple dress with green butterflies on it, but it was now stained from dirt and blood. There was a huge tear in the dress over her stomach and blood was dried around it. It appeared that she was stabbed in the stomach, and died almost instantly.

"Time of death?"

Gibbs stood by Ducky as the body was laid down on the surface of the ground and Ducky checked it out.

"Approxiamately 48 hours ago," Ducky replied as he examined the wound.

"We need to get her to the lab quickly and identify her so we can notify a guardian," Gibbs said quickly.

Ducky nodded and the body was carried away. Ziva took a shaky breath as they got into the car and drove back to headquarters. It was time to spill the jelly beans... wait. She meant beans.

"Check it out," Gibbs said walking in by his desk.

"Yes, Boss."

"Gibbs," Ziva cut in.

"DiNozzo, type faster!"

"Yes, Boss."

"Gibbs."

"McGee, I want an answer!"

"Gibbs!"

Gibbs stopped talking and looked at Ziva, as did McGee and Tony.

"I have something important to say," she said more quietly.

They watched expectantly.

"I'm... pregnant," she said. Tony and McGee gaped and Gibbs just stood there. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"How long?"

She looked at Gibbs, the only stable face that made it easier to concentrate.

"Three weeks," she whispered. Tony got up, shook his head, and stormed away. Ziva watched helplessly and put her face in her hands.

"McGee, shut our mouth or you'll catch flies," Gibbs said. McGee shut his mouth and nodded weakly. Ziva wanted to die.

"Gibbs, would you drive me home?"

Gibbs glanced at Ziva and felt pity for her. She had purple bruises under her eyes and she looked like she was about to collapse. He nodded and helped her up.

"I can get up," she told him stubbornly.

"I know pregnant women, Ziva, don't give me that bull," he replied helping her anyway. She chuckled and walked with him to the car. Tony hadn't returned from wherever he had gone all afternoon and she assumed he was already home. That stung her, that he would just leave her behind. She shrugged it off though. She had more important things to worry about.

"Where's DiNozzo?"

"I thought he'd be home," Ziva said confused.

"I'll stay here till he gets home," Gibbs stated.

"You really don't have to."

"I didn't say I had to. I want to."

She smiled slightly and headed to the kitchen to make coffee. She started up the coffee maker and returned to the living room.

"I'm happy for you," Gibbs said.

"I guess Tony isn't," Ziva mumbled.

"He'll come around, Ziva," Gibbs reassured her.

"I hope so," she said quickly, looking at him for a moment, then heading to the kitchen to get the coffee.

They drank coffee and talked until 23:17. Ziva fell asleep on the couch almost immediately. Gibbs smiled from his cushioned chair and leaned his head back, closing his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Just so my readers know, this chapter will reveal why Tony stormed off. Don't worry so much, guys! It'll be okay! Enough hints, let's cut to the chase. You want to read this chapter and I want to write it, so enough Author's Note, onto the chapter. Song for chapter is Fences by Paramore. Donald P. Bellisario=NCIS!**

Tony entered the apartment quietly, but not quietly enough. Gibbs woke up quickly and glanced at the door. Tony entered awkwardly and smiled slightly.

"Hey, Boss," he tried. Gibbs stood up and stared long and hard at him.

"You better fix this."

Then he walked out, shutting the door behind him. Tony looked at the clock. It was 4:21 A.M., earlier than usual before waking up for work. Ziva's eyes popped open and she looked around, then focused on Tony. Her mouth opened but then she closed it. He watched her quietly, feeling worse every second. She got up and walked to the bedroom to get ready, and get away from him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, following her.

She pulled out a nice red long sleeve button up shirt and smooth black work pants. Ziva took off her shirt from last night and took the red shirt off the hanger, sharply putting the hanger up in the closet.

"Ziva.."

"What?"

Her words were so cold and sharp that it knocked him off course. He spoke angrily back.

"Why didn't you tell me when you first found out?"

"That is my personal concern. But there was no reason for you to storm off when I told you before," she threw back.

"Damn it Ziva, this is my concern too! We are married, and I deserve to know!"

"Okay, Tony, you want to know? I felt like hell when I figured it out because I was supposed to take the pill and I forgot!"

"We used protection," Tony pointed out.

"Well, it obviously didn't protect very well," Ziva retorted, pacing around in her bra and pajama bottoms. She turned to face him and kept talking.

"Tony, we are agents. We are constantly in danger of our lives with every case we get, so how exactly will I be able to protect an unborn child? When it's born? What will I do?"

She sat on the edge of the bed and held back the tears forcing to flow. He hated it. Seeing her so... vulnerable. He hated that he was the reason she was like this. He sighed and sat next to her, putting his arm around her waist and holding her close.

"Ziva," he said softly,"we. We are in this together. Look, we can see if Gibbs will let you stay at the office while we do field work."

"I don't know, Tony,"she whispered.

"What," he joked," you think we won't survive without you?"

She laughed slightly, then turned serious.

"Why were you mad?"

"I," he started,"I wasn't exactly mad.. I mean, I kind of was, but I was mostly hurt you wouldn't have told me. But I think it's great. I want to help the whole way, Zi. I'm sorry that I was gone so long. I stayed at the office for awhile, thinking. I won't ever do that again."

She looked him in the eyes and kissed his lips tenderly, then pulled away.

"I know you won't. I'm sorry, too. Let's just start over. You, me, and our little tinoket. Or tinok.

"Girl or boy? That's what those words meant right?"

"Yes, Tony. Hebrew words for baby girl and baby boy," she explained.

"Sorry, I'm not very... bilingual," he said raising his eyebrow seriously. She laughed and got dressed. Everything was going to be alright now.

**NCIS Headquarters**

Tony and Ziva arrived at work just in time and put their stuff down by their desks.

"Yo, McGoo, how was last night?"

"Terrible. But I'm not about to divulge the details of my personal life to you," McGee replied. Tony feigned a hurt expression and stood over McGee's desk, spotting a bag of fast food breakfast. He snatched it quickly and emptied it.

"What is wrong with this bag, McFood? There's nothing in it," Tony said glaring at the balled up wrappers that had fallen out.

"It's called I ate it, Tony," McGee said, not looking up from his computer. Tony threw a wrapper at McGee's head and McGee finally looked up.

"Go back to your desk, Tony!"

"Ooh, fine Mr. McTouchy," Tony teased holding his hands up and walking back over to his desk. McGee looked at him.

"Haha, very funny," he muttered sarcastically.

"Oh, it is," Ziva said quickly. He rolled his eyes and kept typing.

"But really, Tony, stop eating everyone's food," Ziva added, stifling a laugh. He smiled sarcastically.

"Well, if _someone _hadn't eaten all the..."

Gibbs walked in a smacked Tony in the back of the head. Tony smiled and looked at Gibbs.

"I'm working, Boss," he said jumping into his seat and typing away. Ziva smirked and Gibbs's mouth turned up in the corner.

Gibbs's phone rang and he picked it up.

"Gibbs, speak."

"You really need to greet callers a different way, Gibbs," Abby said into the phone.

He chuckled and replied," What's up, Abbs?"

"I've got an identity on our victim."

"I'm coming right now."

He place the phone back in its cradle and walked over to the forensics lab.

**Forensics Lab**

"Her name was Clarissa Bridget Gallagher," Abby said taking a sip of Caf-Pow! She brought up a picture of the little girl. Gibb stared at it and her face started changing, until it looked exactly like... Kelly's.

***Flashback***

**"Daddy! Come play with me! Mommy can't play right now, but you can!"**

**Kelly ran forward, taking Gibbs's hand and pulling him away. He smiled, and dropped his bag, following her to her room.**

**"You can be Mr. Ruffles," Kelly said handing him a small stuffed animal and taking a pony for herself. Shannon, his wife, walked over and leaned in the doorway with her arms crossed, smiling. Gibbs looked up and smiled, then stood up and walked over. She chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck, kising him softly on the lips.**

**"Daddy and Mommy sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," Kelly sang, then giggled. Gibbs and Shannon pulled apart and laughed, then Gibbs went back over to Kelly, playing with her for the rest of the afternoon.**

***End***

Abby watched Gibbs, and realized what he must have been thinking. She clicked the tab on the picture, making it go away. Gibbs cleared his throat, then spoke.

"Parents, guardians?"

"Michael and Stephanie Gallagher. Actually, Michael Gallagher and Stephanie Jackson now," Abby pointed out.

"Recently divorced?"

"Six months ago," Abby replied nodding.

"I want info on both parents, latest addresses, phone numbers, whatever to contact and or find them," Gibbs ordered walking out.

"On it," Abby sang out, typing away.

McGee soon walked in and sat on a stool next to Abby, his face inches away from hers. After a few minutes she spoke.

"McGee, space please," she said staring at the screen, still typing.

"Sorry."

He backed away and watched her type. He leaned in again and she turned her head slowly to face him, her nose two centimeters away from his cheek. She sighed in frustration.

"McGee, Gibbs wants me to find a buttload of info, could you give me some space for my brain to take in energy and oxygen?"

"Sorry, sorry!"

"It's fine, just, move away an inch or two," she said nicely. He scooted over and the corner of her mouth twisted up into a grin. Yeah, it was just that funny.


	4. Chapter 4

**Told you guys not to worry! Ziva and Tony made up! I did get a review saying Ziva should have been more upset at Tony, and I apologize. I would have made it a more heated argument, but if you see, Ziva is a lot more tired and under stress right now, and she just didn't have the strength to fight. **

**But trust me, there will be more Ziva anger soon. At some times, I may call McGee 'Tim'. Also, you may have noticed Gibbs still calls Ziva "David" but that's so Ziva and Tony don't get confused when he ask for a "DiNozzo". Anyway, there will be sadness coming. Please don't kill me for what must happen. Most credit will be toward a Hawthorne episode I saw. Read on.**

**Forensics Lab**

"Gibbs!"

"Abby."

Gibbs walked into the lab and handed her her third Caf-Pow! and listened to her.

"Michael Gallagher was in the Marine Corps, he was relieved of duty two years ago. Lives alone on 48 Maple Drive. Stephanie Jackson is a kindergarten teacher, lives with her fiance Nick Dacier on 23 Cromwell Street," Abby told him, slurping from her cup after she finished.

"Thank, Abbs," Gibbs replied. She grinned and turned back to her computer.

**Office**

"McGee, DiNozzo, David, come on, we're going to talk to the parents," Gibbs said walking towards the elevators. Ziva looked at Tony and he shrugged. They all jumped up and followed him quickly.

**48 Maple Drive, Michael Gallagher's house**

Gibbs rapped on the door.

"Federal agents, we need to speak to Michael Gallagher!"

All he got back was silence.

"NCIS, open up!"

Still nothing. Gibbs looked at the agents.

"Ziva, McGee, get the back," he ordered. They nodded and crept to the backyard, guns out. He beckoned Tony forward and picked the lock stealthily. Once he got it, he put up his hand and counted silently.

_3, 2, 1..._

Bang! He kicked in the door and pointed his gun in. Tony followed and went to the right down a hallway. Gibbs looked to the left and then went behind Tony.

"Clear," he said. Tony entered a room on the right and Gibbs looked at the bathroom on the left.

"Clear," they said in unison. Soon McGee and Ziva came over to the living room, where they were.

"Clear out back," Ziva stated. Gibbs nodded and they started searching. Nothing out of the ordinary, some pictures of him (Michael), Stephanie, and Clarissa together. Post divorce apparently.

"The question is, where is Michael?"

Gibbs looked around briefly as did the others.

"On the run?" McGee replied looking at him.

"Most likely," Ziva said.

"Which is why we need to go to Ms. Jackson's house," Gibbs added.

**23 Cromwell Street, Stephanie's house**

"Federal agents, we need to speak to Stephanie Jackson," Tony said knocking rapidly on the door. It soon opened to reveal a beautiful blonde woman with big, blue eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said confused,"is there a problem?"

Gibbs already sensed this was going to be difficult. This woman had absolutely no idea her daughter had been murdered.

"We need to talk to you," Gibbs said as nicely as possible. She beckoned them in and brought them into a spacious living room. She sat down on the couch and starightened her top. She was wearing a crimson red cashmere sweater with a fiery colored scarf wrapped once around her neck. She had on a long brown skirt and gold flats.

"Why are you here?"

Gibbs hesitated then looked at her.

"My name is Jethro Gibbs, and I work for NCIS. These are other agents, Agents David, DiNozzo, and McGee. I have some... bad news. Your daughter was murdered three days ago," he said softly. The color drained from her face and her expression became blank momentarily. Then her eyes welled up and tears started falling down her cheeks.

"No, no, no, God no," she sobbed out. She put her face in her hands. Then she looked up.

"You're joking. This is a cruel, nasty joke..."

"This is no joke, Ma'am," Gibbs told her. It was normal for her to be in denial. When someone recieved such a shock, they often began denying the situation.

"Ma'am, we need you to cooperate with us so we can catch whoever did this," Gibbs continued.

"I need a day or two."

"Ma'am, this is urgent..."

"Agent Gibbs, I don't think you realize how much this affecting me! It won't just pass over in ten minutes! Do you have kids, Agent Gibbs?"

Stephanie stood up, right in front of him. Now Tony, Ziva, and Tim were all watching Gibbs. He faked a small smile, almost sarcastic.

"I thought so," she said staring fiercely at him.

"Well, I will be back in as soon as possible. I know this is hard for you, but we could have a killer on the loose. If you think it was hard hearing it from me, imagine if a couple more parents have to hear the same thing about their child," he replied smoothly, nodding at the others and getting up. Stephanie crossed her arms, then turned away and fell on the couch, covering her face. They watched her for a moment, then walked out, shutting the door behind them.

**NCIS Headquarters**

"This is going to be one tough case," Tony said stretching out in his chair. It was late at the office, exactly 22:37.

"I'm not leaving until I finish what I'm doing," Ziva stated, refusing to let sleep overcome her.

"Guys, go home," Gibbs told them.

"Well, I think I'm going to accept that offer for once," McGee said looking at Tony.

"That's right, McGee, run home," Tony teased.

McGee glared at him, gathered his things, and said goodbye to everyone. Soon Tony had his head on the desk, snoring lightly. Ziva and Gibbs exchanged a look and smirked. Ziva got up and went over to Tony. He was mumbling.

"Twins? We're having triplets?"

Ziva stifled a laugh and whispered into his ear.

"Quadruplets."

Tony's head popped up and he started to panic.

"Quadruplets? That's too many diapers!"

"Relax, Tony," Ziva said chuckling," just go home."

"I don't want to leave you here working," he protested.

"Don't worry, DiNozzo, I'm here. She won't get lonely," Gibbs put in. Tony hesitated, then looked at her.

"Okay, fine. But don't stay too late," he told Ziva. She just nodded and kissed his cheek. He said good-bye and grabbed his keys, then walked out. Ziva went back to her desk and kept working.

**24:16**

Ziva yawned and turned off her computer.

"I'm going home, Gibbs," she told him.

"What road you taking?"

"Traldorn Road," she replied. He nodded and they exchanged good nights. Ziva grabbed her purse, keys, and jacket, heading to the elevators.

Once she got to her car she started driving. It was dark and she was forcing her eyes to stay open. She was on Traldorn Road already when the stoplight came on. She was behind only one car, as this road was usually empty. That's why she used it, there was less traffic. Suddenly the one car swerved over to the right and braked. She watched it and saw park in a bad position. She was worried, and didn't know what had happened. So Ziva pulled over behind it and opened her door. She touched the gun on her belt just to be sure. Then she got out and went over to the car. The driver door opened and a man stepped out. More like staggered out. He was obviously drunk.

"NCIS," she told him flashing her badge," you should not be driving under the influence. I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you a ticket."

"Eh, boys, look at that," he slurred,"she says she's a cop."

Ziva stared him down and glanced through the window. There were two other men in the car, apparently drunk too.

"Out, all of you," she ordered. The others groaned and protested but got out. She looked at them and then spoke.

"Don't move."

She slowly backed over to her car but the driver started laughing and following her. She pulled out her gun and pointed it at him.

"I said stay still!"

He backed up slowly.

"Woah, lady, calm down. You're really pretty."

She glared at him then saw something strange. He nodded slightly, looking behind her. She turned around, but not quick enough. The two others tackled her and grabbed for her gun. She shot and one got hit in the shoulder.

"Dammit!"

He started cursing and backing away.

"You'll pay for that!"

Ziva kicked and squirmed but the two guys held her down, punching her.

"Stop!"

They kept punching anyway, and one knocked her right in the eye. She cried out and covered her stomach protectively. They laughed and slurred more. She was silently praying.

_Dear God, send help! Please, my baby!_

But one more punch caused her to fall into unconciousness. They saw her start to knock out so they ran back to there car and raced away. Ziva laid there helplessly on the side of the road, alone and unconcious.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm sooo sorry! I know that was a very upsetting chapter, but I'm afraid it's not over... :( Keep reading, please. Love my readers! You know who owns NCIS :P**

**NCIS Headquarters**

Gibbs took the last sip of his coffee, then tossed it in the garbage bin next to his desk. Ziva had left over an hour ago, and he was actually getting tired. Suddenly, the phone rang and he picked it up.

"Gibbs, is Ziva still there with you?"

It was Tony. Gibbs's eyebrow rose.

"No, she left over an hour ago," he told Tony.

"God, she didn't come home. I hope she's alright," he said worriedly.

"I'm sure she's fine, but I'll track down her phone. See where she is."

"Thanks, Boss."

"No problem," he replied.

Gibbs tracked down her cell phone on his computer. Ziva was still on Traldorn Road. He peered suspiciously at the screen, then turned it off. He put away his work, grabbed his stuff, and left the office. He went to his car in the parking lot.

**Traldorn Road**

Gibbs drove towards Traldorn Road, because he knew Ziva was there... he hoped. He rounded onto the road when he saw Ziva's car up ahead. He pulled over and jogged over to the car. To his horror, Ziva was lying bloodied and beaten on the ground next to her car. He hurriedly leant down and checked her pulse. Still going. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911.

"Stay with me, Ziva," he whispered. He started to hear sirens in the distance. Gibbs then called Tony.

"Did you find her?"

"Yeah," Gibbs replied as the sirens grew louder," but you aren't going to like how."

**Nearby hospital**

"Ziva!"

Tony rushed in and pushed past a pair of nurses. He entered the room, where Gibbs was sitting by Ziva's bed. He ran over next to Ziva and looked at her face and body. Her right eye was slightly purple, not very bad, and her lip was split. Her arms had certain spots that were turning green and purple. He winced as he examined her. He looked at Gibbs.

"Where's the doctor?"

Gibbs pushed a button and a nurse soon came rushing in.

"I need to see the doctor," Tony told her. She nodded and went out of the room. After about ten minutes, Abby, McGee, and Ducky entered.

"Oy my gosh, what happened?"

Gibbs looked at Tony, who only paid attention to Ziva. Gibbs pulled aside the others and explained that Ziva had been beaten. Abby gasped and Ducky looked grim. McGee just looked astonished. Soon a doctor entered. Her nametag read Dr. Charles.

"Who is the husband?"

"Me," Tony said quietly.

"I'm afraid I need the other visitors to leave the room," she told the others. Gibbs glanced at Ziva, then beckoned the others out of the room. Once they were alone, she shut the door, then sat in a chair. Tony put his hands in his pockets and strolled around, then leaned against the sink, his arms crossed.

"I'm very sorry, Agent DiNozzo," she said nicely.

"How,"he cleared his throat,"how bad is she?"

"Not bad," Dr. Charles replied,"her bruises will heal, and her lip will patch up. She is breathing normally, and will not have any memory loss."

Tony breathed in relief. She looked down then back up.

"There's more... Agent DiNozzo."

He locked his gaze with hers.

"I'm afraid... our assaulters gave one punch too many. The baby couldn't take the impact. It didn't survive."

He forced a small smile, then swallowed. His eyes glazed over and he turned around.

"I'm so sorry," she said softly. He nodded and she got up, opened the door, and walked out. Everyone reentered and waited.

A tear rolled down his cheek, but he hastily wiped it away.

"Tony..."

"Her baby... our baby... it's dead."

Abby covered her mouth. Ducky sighed and put an arm around Abby's shoulders. McGee looked back and forth between Gibbs, Ziva and Tony. Gibbs walked over to Tony and patted his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Tony."

Tony just nodded and rubbed his face. Gibbs walked over to Ziva and looked at her. He sighed and sat down. Tony couldn't take it any longer. He walked out to the men's bathroom.

Soon, Ziva opened her eyes. At least she was able to open both eyes.

"Tony," she croaked out.

"He's coming. He's... in the restroom," Gibbs told her. She looked around, then everything flooded back to her. She gasped and looked at her stomach.

"Is the baby alright?"

Gibbs hesitated, then looked at her. She watched him then her eyes welled up.

"Ziva..."

"No."

Her words were sharp an emotionless.

"I," she cleared her throat,"know what has happened. It is too late."

She turned her head away. Gibbs felt terrible, even if he didn't show it. Ziva usually never showed her emotions, but this was just.. unreal. He patted her shoulder gently, and leaned in to kiss her forehead. She sighed and blinked rapidly. A nurse came in and checked her out, then left. Tony reentered, and saw she was awake. He hurried over to her side and kissed her lips quickly.

"Ziva, I'm glad you're okay. But..."

"I know, Tony. And I'm glad I'm okay, too."

Ater a bit everyone said goodnight and Tony stayed in the chair by her bed.

"You should have come home with me."

"Tony," she replied," I wouldn't have left anyway, and you know it."

"I don't care."

"This is not my fault."

"I never said it was."

"You didn't have to. I'm sorry, but I was doing my job. The men.. pulled over in a bad position, and I went to go see what was wrong. They were drunk, and they jumped me. I didn't know this would happen," she replied, fighting back tears.

"Ziva... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way."

"Then what way did you mean, Tony? Things happen, and we can not stop them. Either way, it is done. You should go home and get some sleep."

He looked down, then stood up.

"I'll be back tomorrow," he promised. She nodded and watched him leave. How dare he blame her? He didn't say it out loud, but he was suggesting it. She wouldn't have left with him anyway, and he knew it. And then he just.. left? He could have decided to stay. She shook her head and closed her eyes, forcing her mind to go blank. But she couldn't. Ziva couldn't take it any longer. She willed her feelings to take over for once, and she started sobbing. She couldn't accept that everything was falling apart.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry readers! I know everyone wants Tony and Ziva to make up quickly but I plotted ahead a bit and it has to be this way :( ****Sorry…. Either way, thanks for reading, don't hate me.**

**Same Day (Monday), later in the morning**

Tony sighed and kept working, not missing a beat. McGee watched him anxiously. Tony hadn't quoted one movie or cracked one joke since they had arrived at work this morning. And it wasn't only him that noticed, everyone else had too. Gibbs entered the room and sat at his desk, occasionally glancing at Tony.

"I'm fine, alright? You can stop looking at me," Tony said sharply. Gibbs didn't say anything, just stared at him evenly. Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry, I just..."

He didn't get to finish because Gibbs came over and slapped him in the back of the head.

"Hey!"

"What's the rule?"

"Never apologize, it's a sign of weakness," Tony mumbled. Gibbs's eyebrow rose and he nodded, then crossed his arms, walking back to his desk.

"Get up, we're going back to Ms. Jackson's house," Gibbs ordered. Tony and McGee stood up and started to follow him, when the elevator made a bing. They froze and looked at it. The doors opened and there stood Ziva, arms crossed leaning against the elevator wall. She was wearing a black, tight jacket top with a collar that went up her neck a little. She had on some sand colored pants and black boots. She looked much better, her eye was almost fully healed, and she had covered it with makeup. Her face was back to it's bronze shade. But her mouth was not smiling, her lips turned into a nuetral position. Her eyes were filled with sadness, even though she was trying desperately to hide it. She had on a strong facade, but it wasn't fooling Tony.

"Is it alright if I come?"

Her words were normal, yet emotionless. She had to push herself to speak like she meant it, instead of automatically responding to everything. Gibbs mouth opened the sllightest, then he nodded.

"Let's go."

**Stephanie's House**

"I don't want to speak to you."

"Whether you want to or not, Ms. Jackson, we need information. I know you're hurting but this could be a child murderer on the loose," Gibbs replied.

She gulped and nodded. Stephanie sat down, beckoning everyone else to sit.

"When did you last see your daughter?"

"Exactly four days ago. Her father and I have a court order, he gets her every other week. She's supposed to come home every Sunday, and when you came yesterday, I had been wondering why she wasn't home yet. I guess I know why."

She took a shaky breath and looked away. Ziva wrote down the information.

"Are you and the father on.. good terms?"

"Well," she said," we speak, but very formally. He's still... upset about the divorce. And that I have a fiance already."

Ziva looked at Gibbs and he nodded.

"Where exactly is Nick Dacier?"

"He's been on a business trip all week, he is coming home today. Why does that matter?"

"Just required information," Gibbs told her. She looked confused but nodded.

"This may be a little personal, but it may help. Was Mr. Gallagher... abusive? He was in the Marine Corps, and I read a bit on his history. He was severely traumatizedafter watching many killed right in front of him, then being held hostage. Sometimes that can cause a person to be violent or... psychologically ill," Gibbs contined carefully. She rubbed her face then looked at him.

"He was... a little ill. Sometimes he would get mad very easily, and he had nightmares almost every night. He wasn't very abusive, but he would break things and it was scary," she replied sadly. Ziva was writing furiously.

"While I was pregnant with Clarissa... I had to be very careful not to anger him so I could protect my baby."

Ziva froze and stared at the notepad. Tony looked at Ziva who in return looked up. Ziva stood up and walked out, slamming the door behind her. Tony sighed in frustration.

"Did I say something?"

"Yes," Gibbs answered truthfully, continuing to ask quesstions.

"Fiance's job?"

"President of Industrial Marketing."

Suddenly the door opened and in walked a very handsome man, who wore a nice suit, a navy blue jacket slung over his forearm and a suitcase by his side.

"Who are they?"

Stephanie stood up and walked over to the man.

"This is NCIS, Nick. Clarissa was murdered!"

She stuffed her face into his chest and he put down his stuff.

"What? How? Who did it?"

"She was murdered four days ago. She was stabbed in the stomach, then her body was buried. We don't know who," Gibbs answered every question.

"Well, figure it out!"

Gibbs could already tell this man was rude and thought himself better than anyone.

"We're trying Mr. Dacier," he spoke evenly. He turned back to Stephanie.

"Ms. Jackson, do you have any idea where your ex-husband is? He wasn't at his home."

"Well, he has two houses," Stephanie pointed out," did you check the other one?"

Gibbs and McGee shared a look.

"Address?" McGee asked.

"45 North General Street."

Gibbs froze, then stopped writing.

"What?"

She looked anxiously at him.

"We're going to keep investigating. Be careful."

Gibbs refused to tell her the real answer, so he told her this instead. She nodded carefully, then bid them good-bye. Tony, McGee, and Gibbs walked out.

"Boss, that's the address of our crime scene," McGee said following him to the car where Ziva was sitting in the backseat.

"I know," Gibbs replied, stopping to look at him.


	7. Chapter 7

**DRAMA BOMB! I'm being evil, but I must do what I must do! Is it just me or when I read a character from NCIS talking I read it in my head in their voice? Espeially Abby XD Love you guys!**

**Crime Scene**

"Boss, we already gathered all the evidence," McGee explained. Gibbs turned around and gave him 'the look'. Mcee smiled fakely, then turned around quickly, his expression becoming nervous, and grabbed his stuff out of the car.

"I know, McGee, but I just have a feeling that we need to check again."

"And you know Gibbs and his "gut","Tony tried to joke to McGee. It caught McGee offguard considering Tony's attitude for the past day. McGee was facing Tony and saw Gibbs behind Tony. He remained silent, his face apologetic.

"He's right behind me isn't he?"

"Yep,"Gibbs answered for McGee.

_Slap._

Tony grimaced and reluctantly followed Ziva, McGee, and Gibbs into the ruins again. Ziva refused to look at Tony, and he was too much of a coward to try and look at her. Her heart ached so much. She wanted to talk to him, have him hold her, kiss him, go back to the way things were before. She was hoping, praying that it would blow over quickly. She remembered the look on Stephanie's face as she had been told her little girl was dead. Ziva remembered how she had felt when she was told the same thing.

She had to help solve this case. She knew how this woman was feeling, and she was willing to do everything to her will to help. Ziva vowed she would not stop until this mother was reassured this would not happen to another child. She then started looking around for the second time.

Gibbs was looking around when something glinted from the floor. He caught it from his peripheral vision and followed the bright shine it reflected from the sun. He finally reached it and picked it up with his latex glove covered hand. He examined it closely and saw it was a white coat button. He had a sudden feeling that it was very... familiar. Gibbs just.. knew he saw it before, he just couldn't put his finger on it. He would think about it later, he decided, as he dropped it in a small evidence bag.

"Gibbs," Ziva called out while squatting on the floor next to the front door, her camera pointed at the floor. He came over and squatted next to her.

"Juice," he stated. She nodded and snapped a couple pictures, then got a sample of the juice.

"When we get back, send it to Abby," he told her while rising and walking away. She got up and walked to the backyard where McGee was taking a sample of the grass and dirt.

"For Abby," he explained, seeing her confused expression. She nodded and kept walking around. She didn't see anything, as hard as she looked.

"Boss, blood stains," Tony told Gibbs while shining a UV light on an area of the floor. Gibbs told him to swab it up and save it for Abby. After an hour or so Gibbs decided there was nothing left. Gratefully, everyone followed him to the car.

**NCIS Headquarters**

"Abbs, info," Gibbs said as he entered the lab.

"Okay, obvious enough, but the blood on the rags found in the garage had Clarissa's blood on them. They were used to clean up the... blood. Anyway," she added pulling up a picture of the shovel and the backyard of the crime scene,"the grass and dirt on the shovel matched the sample from the backyard that McGee got me."

"But I thought all grass and dirt was the same," Gibbs said, slightly confused.

"True," Abby replied turning around to look at him,"_but... _the grass and dirt in the backyard is different from regular grass and dirt. It's artificial, and it was installed in the backyard. The shovel also had artificial dirt and grass. Instantly matched."

"I see," Gibbs said, understanding.

"I also tested the juice Ziva acquired for me, and I found out it was orange juice. Surprisingly, high levels of chloroform contaminated it. Which means," she stopped giving Gibbs the opportunity to finish.

"That little girl was drugged before she was killed."

"Exactly! When Ducky examined her internal systems, he found..."

"Orange juice," Gibbs finished again.

"Right. She either drank the juice on her own, or was forced. I'm guessing the latter though. Here's my theory: murderer gets the girl, forces her to drink the juice which knocks her out for a couple hours, takes her to the house, kills her..."

"Buries the body, and tries to destroy the evidence by burning down the house," Gibbs finished for the third time.

"Aww, I love when you finish my sentences. Great minds think alike, Gibbs!"

Gibbs allowed a small smile before disappearing back into the office.

**Ziva and Tony's Apartment, after work**

Ziva set Tony's plate in front of him and sat down further away on the couch. They ate in uncomortable silence and she touched her stomach, then remembered there was nothing there to touch anymore.

"Why Tony? Isn't it enough the child is gone, are we going to avoid each other, too?"

Tony looked at her and said nothing, pain burning in his eyes.

"I said I was sorry. I can not change what has happened!"

"I know."

That's all Tony said as he disappeared into the bedroom. She huffed dryly and grabbed her jacket, then walked out. She hopped in the car and drove away, not sure where she was going.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry I haven't updated in so long guys! Okay, here we go! Song for chapter is Monster by Paramore. **

Ziva drove in circles, without even so much as a destination in mind. She parked in front of what looked like a coffee shop and entered, buying a cup of hot chocolate with lots of cinnamon. (A/N: My favorite from Starbucks!) She sipped slowly, not tasting a thing. Ziva listened to the cheesy cafe music and started to feel sleepy. She threw away her now empty cup and went home. When she got there, she discovered a sleeping Tony lying in bed. She climbed in, sitting away from him, even though she desperately wanted to cuddle against him.

oOo

The next morning, Ziva opened her eyes and yawned, getting up to take a shower. She grabbed some clothes and entered the bathroom, shut the door, and undressed, geting into the shower quickly.

She found herself staring at the tiled wall and the water was cold. She hadn't even bothered to warm it up. She had her hair in bun so it wouldn't get wet. Ziva finished after pulling herself away from her thoughts and got changed into a simple pair of jeans and a longsleeve shirt. She brushed her teeth and pulled her hair into a ponytail, then fixing that into a braid. Ziva leaned forward in front of the mirror and looked at herself. She felt sad just looking at herself.

Purple bruises under her eyes. Most of the color gone from her cheeks. Lips chapped and pulled down. She banged her fist against the mirror, then sighed and exited. She ran right into Tony with only boxers on. During any normal day, she would have had shivers going up her spine. But today she just couldn't look at him. Ziva realized she was up early, and didn't want to wake up Tony. So she made two omelets and ate one, leaving one covered on the counter for him, and grabbed he bag. She glanced at the bedroom door once before leaving.

**NCIS HQ**

Now that everyone was at work, Gibbs was ready to get moving.

"McGee, track Gallagher's cell, we need to find him!"

"On it, Boss," came the reply. Ziva typed furiously, getting more information. Her hair was straightened and waved today, and she was wearing a yellow top.

"Gibbs!"

"David, what'da you have for me?"

Ziva got up and went over to Gibbs, clicking the remote to turn on the large screen. Images of papers showed up and a picture of Colonel Gallagher.

"I found out why we did not know that the crime scene house was not Colonel Gallagher's, Gibbs."

"Well?"

"The Colonel bought the house under an alias. The alias is Ian Velot Sephie," Ziva said clicking again to zoom in the papers."

"This signature matches his handwriting," she continued showing a picture of the Colonel's handwriting and Ian Sephie's. She reached out to point at the 'r'.

"He writes his 'R's with the same loop right here and the 'P's have an identical pattern."

Gibbs nodded and turned around.

"I want the type of payment metho.."

"He used cash," Ziva added.

"Wow, this guy's got a lot of money on his hands to buy a house like this in cash," McGee stated looking at them.

"All I know is, you don't get that type of money from the Navy," Gibbs said walking away.

"Boss," Mcgee called.

"Yes," Gibbs said walking back over, obviously annoyed.

"I tracked his cell."

"Where is he?"

"Guadalajara, Mexico."

"Pack your gear, we're going on a trip," Gibbs ordered walking away. They nodded and Ziva headed back to her desk.

**Where Gibbs Is**

Gibbs headed up the stairs. Cynthia had paged him to the Director's office.

"Cynthia," he said while heading into the office.

"She's in there," Cynthia replied, continuing to type.

He entered and stood in front of Director Jenny Shepard's desk. She looked up under her glasses, took them off, and sat up.

"Is there a problem?"

"Yes," Jenny replied," Ziva has not been doing well. I feel like she is getting too close to this case after what happened, and can't risk any of you getting hurt."

"What are you suggesting, Director?"

"Intervention."

"Intervention?"

"We all need to talk with her, get her to understand," Jenny said. Gibbs licked his bottom lip, then nodded.

"When?"

"When you get back from Mexico,"she told him. He turned around and walked out, thinking about what an intervention might do.

**Next Day  
>Guadalajara, Mexico<br>12:45 P.M.**

"Ahh, resorts. So very relaxing," Tony stated while following Gibbs, Tim, and Ziva. Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well, we aren't going to be relaxing. As soon as we get there, DiNozzo and David, head to the pool. Check out the scene. Ian Velot Sephie checked into this hotel, and he is currently in the hotel's estate. McGee and I'll be in the lobby," Gibbs explained.

"Sure," Ziva mumbled. Gibbs glanced at her in his peripheral vision and then looked away. They headed into the elevator and Tim punched the button for the 7th floor. They reached the floor quickly, and everyone headed to their rooms. Ziva and Tony to theirs, Gibbs to his, and Tim's to his. They looked at each other, opened the doors, entered, and shut them. Ziva went into their bathroom and shut the door to change. She stepped out, her waved hair down pulled back by a pair of black sunglasses and wearing a strapless black bikini with black strapped wedges. She had a black bag with her cellphone, camera, sunscreen, towel, I.D., and book. Tony had on some trunks and a button up t-shirt.

"Let's go," she said quickly as she walked out. He sighed and locked the door behind him.


End file.
